Hope

I always want to be more positive in life, about life, and throughout my life.  A large part of that is hope.  Such an admirable and positive quality.  We all need it.

I've always been a morning person.  Even at 73, naturally waking up somewhere between 5 and 6 a.m. feels the best. Used to celebrate when it was our ward's turn to have the early schedule.  These days, waking at the early hour is still the norm.  But having to be out the door by eight-something for church feels like pressure.  (Pressure avoidance is a real thing.) So while I don't exactly love the early church schedule this year (makes for l-o-n-g Sunday afternoons) I have some hope that by the end of the year I will be enjoying rather than tolerating it.

Last Sunday was gorgeous weather.  Went for a stroll in the sunshine that I could feel reaching to the center of my soul.  This little corner spot in a yard was full of the happiest little crocus.  😍  So grateful for my phone camera that's pretty much always in my pocket.

Then we had some not so sunny days and today feels downright cold.  Damp cold. Seep through your bones cold.  We had an errand to run and I snapped a picture through the windshield (happened to be at the right place when the rain ceased for a minute or two) of the area close to where we used to live.  We spontaneously took a little side detour through the old area.  Surprised The Husband with all the names of the people I could still remember.  Nice little trip down memory lane.

Winter season means little cracks and splits in the skin around my fingernails.  The only way to heal them is to keep them covered.  Bandages are an issue:  either the adhesive makes my skin unhappy, or it sticks so hard it takes the skin right off, or it won't stick at all.  I keep coming back to this particular brand. The adhesive is just the right strength, sticks and doesn't remove the top layer of skin when it's time to change it out.  They're made for kids.  Thus, the bright colors.  I've adopted the attitude of "if I have to wear a bandage, I might as well be bold."  This particular set truly does glow in the dark.  I'll bet kids love them.  Actually, I think I'm pretty happy with them, also.

It's been a kind of odd week.  Emotions all over the place.  Frustrations (dang big companies), patience (always a steep learning curve), worry (I just came that way), and hope (still working hard at keeping it ever-present in my heart).  Perhaps next week will have maybe the same amount of oddness, but happy-oddness?  Is that a thing?

I'm so grateful today for my treadmill.  When I can't get a morning walk in, my whole day suffers.  I remain grateful every day for our good roof and good furnaces.  The new furnaces are using much less natural gas so are definitely an improvement.  So grateful we managed to afford them.  I'm grateful for warm socks and sweaters.  I know I say on here a lot that I'm grateful for these things as well as food and books and projects.  Repetition is ok when it is sincere, right?  And I am sincerely grateful.  I hope to always remain so.  And I hope to always have a hopeful heart.